Wire-stretcher.



No. 716,080. Patented Dec. |6,\1l902.

` B MYERS WIE STRETCHERH (Application tiled Apr. 25, 1902.)

(un Model.)

#mins BENNETT MYERS, OF GROVEPORT, OHIO.

wma-STRETCH sa.

`SPECIEICA'ILION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,080, dated December 16, 1902.

Application niet April z5, 1902.

T all wwnt it mayconcerc: "f 1 j Beit known that LBENNETT MYERS, va citizen ofthe` United States, and a `resident of (Jrroveporhinthev county ofPickaway and State of Ohio, have inventeda new and Improved lWire-Stretcher, of which thefollowingq is a full,",clear,^ and eXact description.

` The purpose of my invention is to provide a simple, durable, and effective form of wirestretcher and one which can be conveniently` applied and operated and which inits opera lwith equal `pressure throughout, thus preventingthewire from being kinked or nicked, and also to so construct the device that it may be successfully operated upon wire of any size and may be readily brought into action to take hold of the wire or to release the same.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fullyset forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis a plan view of the device in its normal i position in contact with the post. Fig. 2 isa sectional view of the device, the sectionbeing taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. Land Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device in action and a plan view of a post against which it has bearing.

The handle-section A of the device maybe made of any desired` length and is transversely widened at its head end a. At the terminal of the head end d of the handle adjoining segmental projections 10 and 11 are formed on each side of the handle, the projection 10 extending farther outward than the projection 11 and is `of greater radius, and said head endlof the handle is further provided with a chamber 12, open at the outer end and at the sides of the handle,as is shown in Fig. 2. The lower jaw B is made intergr'al with a Serial 110.104,63?. (No model.)

sleeve 13, said jaw extending beyond opposite sides` of the sleeve, as is shown in Fig. 3, and the outeror gripping section of the jaw is straight and smooth. An opening 14, preferably rectangular and of greater length than width, ismade in the central portion of the said lower jaw B, dividingitinto two sections b and b', which opening continues into the sleeve 13,'forming a chamber 15 therein,wl1ich chamber `extends through the rear or inner fend of the sleeve at one side, but stops short of itsrear end at the opposite side, forming an inner shoulder 16, as is illustrated in Fig. 2. A tongue 17, rectangular in crosssect-ion, extends from the closed rear end of the sleeve 13 centrally between its sides, and at the opposite edge of the sleeve an opposing closing-strip 18 extends from the sleeve, the outer and inner surfaces of the strip being respectively iiush with the outer surface of the sleeve and the end wall of its chamber. In fact, the strip 18 corresponds to the tongue 17, being called a strip, because it is thinner from front to rear than the tongue 17, and said strip and said tongue constitute the front and rear portions of the inner end of the sleeve 13 or that end which is adjacent to the handle of the device.

Two adjoining segmental recesses 19 and 2O are made in the rear edge of the sleeve at each side face, the recess 19 being of greater radins than the recess 20, and it extends outwardly beyond it, as is shown in Fig. 4. The larger recess 19 corresponds in radius to the projection 10 from the handle, which projection it isadapted to receive, and the recess 19 extends from one side edge of the sleeve to a point near the tongue 17. The recesses 2O are at each side face of the tongue 17, eX- tending to the opposite side edge of the sleeve, and these recesses 20 are of the same radius as the handle projection 1l and are adapted to receive such projection. The side faces of the sleeves at the recesses 19 and 2O are reinforced by ribs 21.

The upper jaw C is iiat at its under or gripping surface and corresponds in size to the size of the lower jaw B. It is divided into two sections c and. c' by a central bar or shank 22, having an extension 23 at one side, forming a shoulder 24 at the opposite side, as is shown in Fig. 2, and said upper jaw carother, as is also shown in Fig. 2.

The parts are assembled as follows: The

tongue 17 of the sleeve 13 and the closingstrip 18 of the sleeve are made to enter the chamber 12 in the head portion of the handle until the projections 10 and 11 for the handle have fully entered the recesses 19 and 20 in the sleeve 13. Next the shank 22 of the upper jaw is passed through the opening 14: in the lower jaw B into the chamber 15 of the sleeve 13, the extension 23 of the shank passinginto thethrough-openingin said chamber, as is shown in Fig. 2. The two jaws are left spaced a predetermined distance apart, likewise the shoulder 16 in the sleeve and the shoulder 24 of the shank 22 of the upper jaw, as the two shoulders will be opposite each Finally a pin 27 is passed through the projection 10 of the handle at a central point with respect to its radius and through the extension from the shank of the upper jaw, connecting said upper jaw with the handle, and asecond pin .2S is similarly passed through the handle projection 11 and through the tongue 17, connected with the lower jaw, thus connecting said lower jaw with the handle.

It will be observed that a line drawn through the center of the pin 27 will not strike the opposite pin 28, but will pass forward of said pin.

In operation the handle being straight the smooth surface of the head 25 of the upper jaw C is placed against a post D in a manner to bring the space between the jaws B and C over the wire, which will be received in such space. Then Iby moving the handle outward or in direction of the recesses 20 the jaws are brought in direction of each other to a firm clamping engagement with the wire and may be so held while any desired force is exerted without injury to the wire, as the jaws clamp the wire uniformly throughout their length. This device will hold the Wire without slipping and will let loose the wire upon straightening the handle without flattening the wire.

The advantage of having two sets of jaws is great, as the wire can be caught under all conditions, the jaws are less liable to be sprung, and if this should happen to one set of jaws it is quickly rectified by bringing the opposite set into operation. The principal use of the stretcher is for closing up the ends of woven-wire fence and stretching the wire from the stretcher-bar to the end post after the rest of the fence has been stretched by a stretcher-bar and jacks. j

The device is also very useful for stretching barbed wire on fences, or any other kind of wire, or wherever it is desirable to stretch wire with a hand-stretcher. The device is preferably made of malleable or wrought iron; but the clamping-surfaces of the jaws are faced with steel, as is illustrated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a wire-stretcher, an upper and a lower jaw, an extension from each of the jaws at an angle to their gripping-surfaces, the extensions of the upper jaw being loosely passed through the lower jaw to a parallel position with its extension, a rocking handle normally in the same horizontal plane with `the jaws, and pivotal connections between the handle and each of the said extensions from the jaws, the said connections being in the same horizontal plane but one in advance of the other as described, and segmental projections from the handle, in which projections said pivotal connections are located, the said projections being arranged for movement within segmental recesses formed in the side faces of the support for the lower jaw, substantially as described.

2. In a wire-stretcher, an upper and a lower set of jaws, an extension from each set of jaws at a right angle thereto, the extensions from the upper jaw being loosely passed through the lower jaw to a point parallel with its extension, a sleeve forming a portion of the lower jaw and provided with adjacent segmental recesses of dierent radii, a handle recessed to receive the extensions of both jaws and adapted to rock in a direction at right angles to the direction of the movement of the jaws, segmental projections of dierent radii extending from the handle and into the said segmental recess, connections substantially as described, between the jaws at the said segmental recesses and the projections from the handle, whereby through the movement of the handle to open and close the jaws, and a bearing-head secured to the outer jaw, extending outwardly therefrom, as set forth.

3. In wire-stretchers, the combination with a lower jaw provided with an attached sleeve, said sleeve having adjoining segmental recesses in its rear end, one in advance of the other and of diderent radii, a tongue projecting from the recessed end of the sleeve at one side, an upper jaw having parallel movement with relation to the lower jaw, a bearing-head fast to the outer face of the upper jaw, and a shank extending from the gripping-face of the upper jaw, extending loosely through the sleeve parallel with the tongue of the sleeve, the tongue being opposite one of the sleeverecesses and the shank opposite the adjoining recess, of a handle provided with a chamber to receive said tongue and said shank and also provided with adjacent segmental projections, one extending beyond the other and one being of different radius from the other, which projections enter the segmental recesses in the sleeve, and pins passed through the handle centrally with respect to the radius of the projections and through said tongue and said shank, as described.

4. In a wire-stretcher, an upper and a lower jaw, an extension from each of the jaws at an IOO IZO

angle to their gripping-surfaces, the extenthesame horizontal plane With thefr'ont edges sions of the upper jaw being loosely passed of the upper and lower jawsand handle, as

Through the lower jaw toA a parallel position set forth.

with its extensions,aroeking handle normally In testimony whereof I have signed my I5 5 in the sanne horizontal plane with the jaws, name to this specification in the presence of and pivotal connections between the handle two subscribing Witnesses.

and each of said extensions from the jaws,

Asegmental projections from the handle, in BENNETT MYERS' which projections said pivotal connections are Witnesses: xo located, and a bearing-head fixed to the up- FRED C. RAREY,

perjaw, extending beyond the same and in` CORNELIUS BLACK, Jr. 

